LSUsports.netLSU junior Kadron Boone has two catches this season and both have gone for touchdowns.

It was almost too long
for LSU junior Kadron Boone to wait.

Now, though, Boone's
career is right on course as he and the No. 3-ranked Tigers head into the third
week of the 2012 season.

In the first two weeks
of the season, Boone has hauled in long touchdown passes to add the exclamation
points to lopsided victories over North Texas and Washington.

That those two catches
are the only balls Boone has hauled in is only part of the story. There's also
the fact that he has been on the receiving end of all three touchdown passes
Zach Mettenberger has tossed dating back to last season.

"I didn't have any idea
until (fellow receiver) Jarvis Landry and (backup quarterback) Stephen Rivers
told me on Sunday," Boone said with a smile. "I'm not going to complain about
it."

Nope, no complaints
from Boone now.

Right after the 2011
season concluded, though, the Ocala, Fla., native was far from happy.

In two seasons with the
Tigers, one of the highest rated prep receivers in the Class of 2010 had caught
11 passes for 134 yards - mostly in mopup time.

He declared via Twitter
shortly after LSU's BCS National Championship loss to Alabama that he was
headed home, an apparent indication of a looming transfer.

Boone doesn't duck the
notion that he seriously weighed a change of scenery.

"I did, but that was
last year and I'm happy to be here this year," Boone said.

Happy because he's more
involved.

No, Boone is not a
starter. He's listed as a backup at the X-receiver spot behind fellow junior
and close friend James Wright.

Unlike last year,
though, when that might've been pure window dressing, he knows he has a
legitimate role in the offense with a new quarterback, a new receivers coach
and a new attitude.

LSUsports.netLSU receiver James Wright broke out for five catches for 75 yards -- both career-highs -- in a 41-3 victory vs. Washington.

"Like night and day,"
Wright said of Boone's redirected attitude. "When you get a little success, you
get motivated."

That success has landed
Boone in the end zone twice already this season.

He was quick to credit
the way the play was set up and called by offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa, and
also pointed out the Tigers' dominant running game helped set up the
play-action fake that allowed him to dash downfield in single-man coverage.

"When you have running
backs who run like ours, you have to respect the run," Boone said. "I was able
to get by my guy and get open."

And that's where Boone
deserves plenty of credit as well.

The Tigers' defensive
backs say the 6-foot, 207-pound Boone is as good as any receiver on the team at
finding holes in the defense when it's playing a zone and "sitting down" to make
himself available to the quarterback.

That's a skill not all
receivers show up with at the college level because they've been so used to
using their blazing speed and a move or two to blow by defenders.

"When we watch film, we
see a lot of zone and I try to get an idea of how the defense is going to play
me," Boone said. "Depending on your route, you have to find a window. You'll be
open and can get the ball if you find the right window."

Wright has been around
Boone long enough for the two to exchange techniques and talk about how to figure
out how to read defenses.

So on the night when
Boone again found the end zone, Wright had the biggest game of his career with
five catches for 75 yards.

"Once he made that
first catch, that was the James Wright I've always seen," Boone said. "He knows
how to get open and make things happen."

That's also important
because instead of simply being role players for the LSU offense, Boone and
Wright are now part of what has become a much deeper position for the Tigers.

Landry and Odell
Beckham Jr. are the established to-go receivers for Mettenberger, but when a
defense is talented enough to check those two or if either one encounters an
injury, there are plenty of options for Studrawa to turn to.

And it only helps that
the two players waiting in the wings actually have an extra year under their
belts with the program.

"Those two guys help
Odell and me all the time because they've seen different things from the
defenses they've gotten ready for," Landry said.

Added Boone, "It does
help to have older guys like James and me around because if we lose somebody, nobody
is panicking. Zach knows he still has guys he can count on."

APLSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger and Kadron Boone have connected three times for touchdowns the last two seasons.

Having a variety of
weapons could also lead to more chances like Boone and Wright got against
Washington.

Last season, it was a
safe bet that on obvious passing downs, Rueben Randle was going to be the
primary target with Beckham as the backup plan. Those two caught 53 and 41
passes, respectively, which accounted for 54.3% of LSU's reception total.

While a quarterback
might naturally look for a receiver more than another, Mettenberger - at first
blush - seems intent on spreading the ball around.

That includes to Wright
and Boone.

As far as those two are
concerned, the more diverse the offense becomes, the better chance to open
things up even more.

"We definitely know it
could be anybody on any given night and Zach is capable of getting the ball to
any of us," Wright said.

"I think we're capable
of making more plays, bigger plays. It's only a matter of time before we open
it up even more."

And a lot more cause
for Boone to be much happier with the direction his career has gone after he
nearly found a detour.

"This offense is a lot
different," Boone said. "We're throwing the ball a lot more that helps (receivers)
feel more involved in the offense."